As the High Priest emerged from the shadows of the great hall, his voice echoed coldly through the temple.
"You should not be here," he said.
The gods exchanged puzzled glances. They had expected reverence, perhaps fear but not this. Then they realized what stood before them was not a god at all. He was a human. Yet there was something… different about him.
Iris, the Goddess of War, narrowed her eyes. A dense, unseen pressure filled the air thick, powerful, and ancient.
"Strange," she murmured. "He's human, yet his aura is immense. Even though he's suppressing it, I can still feel it leaking through. That can only mean one thing… he's powerful very powerful."
Xylander chuckled nervously. "I think he's talking to me. I am human, after all. Maybe humans aren't allowed here?"
The High Priest's gaze didn't waver.
Iris stepped forward, her armor faintly glowing with divine energy. "If you want this human boy gone," she said sharply, "you'll have to go through me first." Her tone was firm, her expression unyielding.
"Hold on!" Enoch raised his hand. "We don't need to fight. Violence isn't always the answer. I don't believe he's our enemy."
Elunara smirked. "Hmm… spoken like a wise man."
"I'm not being wise," Enoch replied. "I'm being honest."
He turned to the High Priest. "Forgive us for the intrusion. We're only searching for one thing the Book of Creation and Legends."
To everyone's shock, the High Priest spoke the same words at the same time. "The Book of Creation and Legends."
The ten gods froze.
"You read his mind!" Iris exclaimed.
"Obviously," Orryx and Zorathos said in unison.
The High Priest's expression darkened. "It's the only reason you've come here. Unlike the other gods, you ten still care about your origin about who created you."
Ra stepped forward. "How do you know about all of this?"
The High Priest's eyes gleamed faintly. "Because I am not just any High Priest. This temple holds the records of all things legends, magic, myths, and truths. It holds the stories of gods and demons, of how humans came to be, of warriors who shook the heavens, and of the darkness that existed before time began. There is no secret of the supernatural that this temple does not know the impossible, the forgotten, and even what is yet to come."
"Remarkable," Orryx murmured.
"So… no one has ever been here before?" Velmioron asked.
"On the contrary," said the High Priest. "Many have come. That's why fragments of our knowledge have leaked into the outside world."
Enoch took a step forward. "Please… we only want to know one thing who created us. That's all we ask. Once we know, we'll leave. You have my word."
The High Priest studied him in silence for a long moment. Then he said, "Very well. I will give you the Book. But you must return it within one week. Only the ten of you may touch it. Should it fall into any other hands… or should you fail to return it…" He paused, his tone hardening. "…I will kill all of you."
Zarthor let out a low whistle. "Quite the speech… coming from a mortal."
The High Priest's eyes glowed faintly gold. "You may be the God of the Iron Hand of Dominion," he said quietly, "but even dominion must learn caution."
Iris's eyes widened. "Judging by his aura, he's not bluffing. He's dangerous."
Suddenly, the temple shook violently. The ground cracked beneath their feet as thunder roared overhead. Blinding lightning tore across the sky, and the walls trembled as though struck by the wrath of creation itself. The gods staggered, nearly falling like children in a storm, while the High Priest struggled for a moment then slowly straightened, regaining his composure. His gaze swept across the gods, calm and unshaken.
A sudden tremor rippled through the temple floor. Then, without warning, a tremendous surge of power burst from outside thick, dark smoke pouring in through the entrance, curling around the pillars until the entire hall was drowned in shadow. The air grew heavy, almost unbreathable, as a deep growl echoed from beneath the earth.
From the cracked ground outside the temple, the demon emerged massive and wreathed in black fire, his dragon coiling around him like living darkness. Beside the shattered earth stood an elf, trembling yet resolute. Around them, shards of fallen stars lay scattered, glowing faintly. Each shard was vast large enough for ten gods to stand upon with room to spare radiating ancient power that pulsed in harmony with the trembling land.
The elf tightened his grip on his weapon as the demon advanced. His blades met with a ringing clash that shook the air. Sparks burst from every strike, each impact forcing the elf back, inch by inch. The demon's strength was overwhelming, his blows relentless. When their swords locked together, the elf's knees buckled under the pressure. Sweat poured down his face as he struggled to hold his ground.
The demon leaned closer, his jagged teeth curling into a cruel grin. The elf's blade trembled; the demon's sword inched toward his throat. A thin line of blood traced down his neck as he cried out in defiance just as a blinding surge of fire split the air.
From within the temple, Iris and Enoch clasped hands, their combined energy igniting into a blazing orb of divine fire. The sphere shot forth like lightning, striking the demon square in the chest. The explosion sent him hurtling backward, crashing through the temple walls and into the open plain.
In an instant, Iris and Enoch vanished from sight, reappearing outside before the weakened elf. Their presence radiated calm and immense power. The elf, gasping for breath, stared at them in disbelief.
"Who… who are you?" he managed to ask.
Enoch smiled faintly, his eyes glowing with a divine aura. "We are gods."
The elf's expression froze, then softened into awe. "Gods… they're real. I can feel it you're immortal."
Before they could reply, the demon's roar shattered the silence. He rose once more, wings flaring, fury burning brighter than before. Behind Iris and Enoch, a colossal sphere of energy was forming two separate streams of light intertwining into one. They released it together, the blast striking the demon with a force that sent him flying twice as far as before.
"He's too strong," the elf warned. "You'll have to fight him seriously!"
Enoch glanced at Iris and nodded. "Then let's end this."
Both gods launched into the sky, their speed tearing through the air. The demon roared and charged toward them, expecting a direct attack but at the last moment, Iris and Enoch split apart, vanishing from his sight.
"Where are you?!" the demon bellowed, his monstrous voice rumbling like a dying engine.
Suddenly, both appeared above him each wielding a single gleaming sword. With divine precision, they struck down together, their blades cutting through the demon's defenses. Blow after blow rained upon him as they descended from the heavens, light against darkness, fury against chaos.
The demon screamed a terrible, echoing sound that faded into the crashing thunder as they drove him into the earth. The ground split open, the dark fire extinguished, and the monstrous body shattered into dust.
When the smoke cleared, Iris and Enoch stood side by side upon the fractured ground. The sky was calm again. The battle was over.
Iris swung her blade in one clean motion, severing the demon's head. Its body collapsed, and the dragon that had fought beside it let out a thunderous roar before taking to the skies, retreating to its dark master.
As the dust settled, Enoch, the remaining gods, and the young human boy, Xylander, stepped out of the temple. The ground was scorched and scarred, the air thick with the scent of battle.
The elf, still trembling, bowed deeply before Iris and Enoch. "I was almost gone back there," he said, his voice shaky but grateful. "If not for the two of you, I'd be dead. You're both incredibly powerful."
Enoch smiled faintly. "We're not that strong yet," he replied. "We're still growing."
Before anyone could respond, the temple doors creaked open. The high priest stepped out, silent and unreadable.
"Who is that?" the elf whispered.
Zarthor turned to him. "That is the High Priest of this temple. He's its protector."
Elunara stepped forward. "High Priest, may we have the book now?"
The priest's eyes darkened. "No."
The gods murmured among themselves, confused and frustrated. "But you said we could have it for a week!" one of them protested.
"Enough," Enoch said firmly. His calm tone silenced them all. "High Priest, please. We only wish to read the book here and return it right away. Why refuse us now?"
"I never intended to give it to anyone," the priest said coldly. "I would sooner die than hand it over."
The gods bristled with anger, but Enoch raised a hand. "Then we'll take our leave."
The others began to complain, but Enoch ignored them and turned back to the priest. "Before we go… what is your name?"
The question caught the High Priest off guard. No one had ever asked him that before. For the first time, his expression softened. He smiled faintly, and the gods saw that beneath his solemn demeanor, he was young handsome even. They stared in silence for several long moments.
"My name is Rafael," he said at last.
"Farewell then, Rafael," Enoch said, turning to leave.
"Wait," Rafael called after them. The gods stopped, surprised. The High Priest stepped forward and held out the book. "Take it."
Their eyes lit up.
"We won't disappoint you," Enoch promised. "We'll return it safely."
Rafael nodded once.
As they prepared to depart, Enoch turned to the elf. "And you what's your name?"
"My name is Magnus," the elf replied.
"Goodbye, Magnus. When next we meet, we'll be stronger strong enough to face whatever comes."
Magnus smiled, bowing his head.
The ten gods and Xylander joined hands. Their bodies shimmered, merging into a brilliant beam of multicolored light that shot into the heavens, vanishing toward the distant kingdom of Zamorthal.